Friday 18 December 2015

SEER - Vol 1 & 2 (Album Review)


Release date: January 22nd 2015. Label: Art Of Propaganda. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Vol 1 & 2 – Tracklisting

01 Glimmervoid
02 Hive Mind
03 Cosmic Ghost
04 Haunter
05 Antibody
06 Aeons

Band Members:

Bronson Lee Norton - vocals, acoustic guitar
Madison Norton - drums, percussion
Josh Campbell - bass guitar, harmonica, slide acoustic
Kyle Tavares - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion

Additional musicians:

Rob Lewis - drums (Tracks 1, 2)
Kyle Thomas - percussion (Track 2)
Madeline Gawthrop - vocals, violin (Track 3)
Danielle Howell - vocals (Tracks 4, 6)
Royce Whittaker - additional guitar solo (Track 4)

Review:

Seer has skipped the awkward stage of finding a niche. They hit the ground running, not afraid to express their sound the way they see fit, using different instruments and vocal deliveries. Many bands don't reach this confidence in stride until their 4th or 5th release...impressive to say the least.

Vol. 1 & 2 are chock full of heavy distorted progressive metal with voices that alternate between raspy growls and operatic vocals. The album cover is as doomy and ultimately as expansive as the music itself, depicting travelling human figures amid the threshold of atmospheric gloom, reminding us that we are mere specs in relation to the grander things as we tread through the journey of the unknown.

The first two songs are from Vol.1 and the next four songs are from Vol.2. The transition between the volume songs meld well and there is no severe distinction between the works, resulting in a satisfyingly complete album.

Glimmervoid - this track cuts a furrow in heavy rock with pulsating metal groove. The vocals here are huge and the verses are memorable. There is even a well-placed harmonica in the assembly.
Hive Mind- a grand song with everything needed for complete contentment. Thick riffs and unforgettable phrases sung with a hoarder’s appetite.

Cosmic Ghost - Wow. This is an acoustic song beside slide guitar. There are several layered vocal styles, magnificently used to convey splendour. I feel like I am sitting around a campfire listening to tales of old being shared by the face painted elders of my race.

Haunter -This song starts off with a riff that sounds not unlike a dying truck horn. The drums and bass clobber away at your speakers. The vocal passages cannot be neglected as they stain the drums of your ears. The dual guitar sections are fantastically rendered and perfectly placed within the song structure. The end portion of this jaunt is truly plagued with bleakness and dread.

Antibody - a dense groove accompanied with an alternating choral of the “sing and the scream”, served up with a great guitar solo.

Aeons - this is an echo on the rebound instrumental composed with the far-reaching sounds of the lonely and isolated realm of time in space.

These guys should be on tour with one of these grandfather bands that are currently touring about at the end of their rule. This band could be next in carrying the torch for heavy rock and progressive metal. They are terrific songwriters and their tunes are enduring for they repeat in your head for days.

Words by Nick Palmisano

Thanks to Art Of Propaganda for the promo. Vol 1 & 2 will be available to buy on CD/DD from Art Of Propaganda from Jan 22nd 2016.

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